I've had some kind of weird stomach virus for two weeks now and it has really put me behind the eight ball. I overslept this morning and had to scramble to catch up when I finally made it to the office. Now that I've settled in I was looking at Memeorandum and a few things caught my eye:

Aren't they all little terrorists at that age? The stories that I could tell about my son, Jason, when he was young and don't even get me started on my granddaughter Olivia. Turns out, it was the three year old's father who was the suspected terrorist, but that wouldn't have been a catchy headline.

I think that people making the "Nazi" comparison need to read the law and when they are finished, read a little history. This is total foolishness and only serves to belittle the dumbasses making the comparison. While we are at it, why is Marco Rubio's position continually being misrepresented on this? He said he had some concerns about certain provisions but supported the bill as a whole. My favorite line from his reaction:

Throughout American history and throughout this administration we have seen that when government is given an inch it takes a mile

It is hard to argue with that.

I'm sure I'll have more on the turncoat, Charlie Crist, later but for now, Jimmie Bise put it best:

And so the World’s Tallest Oompa-Loompa has decided that he doesn’t want to actually run in a competetive primary where Florida Republicans, who he has been wooing with all the fervor of a drugged sloth, could bruise his fragile ego with a resounding defeat. He’s going maverick and will take his beating as an independent (via memeorandum). Of course, he won’t be giving back all the millions of dollars Republican donors gave him when Crist was the darling of the NRSC because, though he may hold Republican voters in contempt, he loves their money.

Jimmie, I am so stealing the World’s Tallest Oompa-Loompa tag!Enough for now. Looking at the computer screen causes very unpleasant side effects.
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Apparently if the choice is between doing the right thing for his party and his state or throwing everyone under the bus for the sake of his ego, Charlie Crist has with all due reflection decided to screw the pooch.

To be fair, Crist does have one unshakable core principle. He will stop at nothing to ensure that Charlie Crist gets elected or appointed to high office.

Yeah, I know. I'm the idiot that held firm to belief that in the end Charlie would do the right thing. The next question is: Will the Dems stick with their candidate, Kendrick Meek, or toss him for Crist? On the one hand, it was only four years ago that Dems thought that Crist was the anti-Christ but on the other, it doesn't matter, Meek sucks as a candidate.

There is one great big bright side to all this-when Meek and Crist split the Dem vote Rubio will be elected and we will never have to look at Crist again. Come on, November!

Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes are illegal in this country UNLESS they are perpetrated by the government. Social Security and Medicare depend on tax dollars for fuel. Increased unemployment and/or lowered birthrates decreases the money paid in to the social pool, whereas, increased longevity increases the number of people withdrawing from the social pool. Eventually, more is withdrawn from the pool than is paid in and either the scheme collapses or the pool must be rebalanced through increased taxes or lowered benefits. Unfortunately, no politician wants to look a voter in the eye and say, “We need more of your money.” Equally distasteful is telling older voters that after a lifetime of paying in to the pool their benefits are going to be cut. As a result, the typical politician ignores the situation and hopes that the problem will wait until after they have left office.

But the current bunch of Dems in Congress and the Administration decided against the “wish and a prayer” style of politics. Instead, with Social Security and Medicare imploding they decided to act and they did so by creating an additional entitlement program in the form of ObamaCare. As Ronald Reagan once said, “There you go again.”

So now we have a program that, according to the Administration, will provide health “care” to an additional 30, 40, 50 million people with no increase in costs and no decrease in coverage and anyone who can’t afford the coverage will be taken care of by the government. Problem is, most Americans are well aware that “the government” doesn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of. The only money that “the government” has is that which it has confiscated from its working citizens in the form of taxes.

We know that we will be expected to contribute ever increasing amounts to the entitlement pool. We know that even at confiscatory levels our money won’t be enough. We know that rationing of what will eventually pass for “care” will ensue. We know from observing Great Britain and Canada where we are heading.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I suspect that is because for the "Progressives" among us their principals are about as deep as spittle. Consider this from Mark Steyn:

At the end of last year, in National Review, I wrote about a London Times writer's call for a "secularist and liberal defense of the principles of a pluralist society." I was skeptical, and I wound up the column with one of those itsy-bitsy nuthin' foot-of-page-37 stories that crop up somewhere around the western world every day now - something about Jewish teachers getting taunted by, ahem, certain pupils:

Around 2002 she began to encounter explicitly anti-Semitic speech from Muslim students: “Does someone smell a Jew? It stinks here.” “You are not human, you are a Jew.” Had Anglo-Saxon skinheads essayed such jests, Oliver Kamm’s warriors of secular pluralism would have crushed them like bugs. But when the teacher went to the principal, and the school board, and the local “hate-crimes unit,” they all looked the other way and advised her that it would be easier if she retired. Sixty out of 75 French teachers at the school opted to leave: A couple were Jewish, a few more practicing Catholics, and most of the rest were the liberal secularists on whom Oliver Kamm’s defense of the West rests. The francophone children withdrew, too. And now the principal and most of the students and faculty are Muslim.

Maybe it would have wound up like that anyway. But having nothing to stand in your way except liberal progressives certainly accelerated the process. And as it went at one schoolhouse, so will it go on the broader horizon: If you believe in everything, you’re unlikely to stand for something.

Of course, the "secularist and liberal defense of the principles of a pluralist society" only applies to a very narrow segment of society. It certainly doesn't apply to women or minorities who wonder off the Progressive farm. And while our Progressive brothers and sisters are certainly "brave" when it comes to standing against grannies like myself in the Tea Party, they are quick to head for the exits when a real threat comes along. And to be sure, radical Islam is a much greater threat to the Progressive lifestyle than I or my fellow Conservatives will ever be.

Apologies to a cherished reader who made it clear that he did not like posts relating to a certain Charles or Andrew. I am only human and as such, occasionally succumb to weakness. Tim Blair has gone deep into the archives of LGF, and the days before Mr. Johnson's conversion to the Church of Conservatives Suck, and come back with some precious nuggets reflecting Chuckles former thoughts on our current President. I have added emphasis but left out the links to LGF. The links, if desired, may be found in Tim Blair's post.

• “Interesting information about one of the Democrats’ rising stars, who is apparently an unreconstructed Marxist with a slick surface.”

• [Barack Obama and other Democrats are] “going to get us all killed.”

• “Here’s a piece on Barack Obama’s past, based on his own account of his shockingly racist anti-white attitudes.”

• “How would the world’s 249 gazillion Muslims react to having an American president who is also a Muslim apostate?”

• “Howard Slams Obama’s Appeasement Platform.”

• “Does Barack Obama really believe this kind of message is going to work with Americans? This is ridiculous. He’s sounding more like a bad Daily Kos post every day.”

• “We’re supposed to believe that a candidate for president is going around the country giving speeches completely off the cuff. Improvising as he goes. And just happens to end up insulting the military.”

• “I’m now beginning to put some credence in the idea that Barack Obama is nothing but a stalking horse for the Hillary Clinton campaign, because nobody could really be this stupid.”

• ”Obama Evades, Approval Plummets.”

• “CHANGE! I’m using the occasion of Obama’s change-oriented victory speech in South Carolina to tinker with the LinkViewer while subconsciously counting the invocations of the CHANGE Power Word.”

• “Ted Kennedy is jumping aboard the Obama bandwagon.”

• ”Barack Obama has publicly repudiated Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, but Debbie Schlussel says she’s spoken with an Obama insider, who told her that Obama continues to employ several Farrakhan followers in his campaign.”

• ”Obama and Clinton try to outdo each other on the all-important issues of appeasement and surrender.”

• “I still can’t decide who to vote for. I know who I want to vote against: the Hillary-Obama Appeasement Complex.”

• “Just last August, Barack Obama was pronouncing the Iraq War a ‘Complete Failure.’ That’s with a capital C and a capital F.”

• ”Barack Obama won’t wear an American flag on his lapel, but on the wall of his Houston campaign office: a Cuban flag with a picture of Communist mass murderer Che Guevara.”

• “Facts: Barack Obama did explicitly refuse to wear a flag pin, and there are not one, but two Cuban flags with Che Guevara on them at Obama’s Houston campaign office.”

• “If things seem sluggish at LGF today, it’s because of all the incoming links to the Obama-Che Guevara story.”

• ”Barack Obama has sponsored a bill that’s on the fast track to becoming law, that could impose an enormous global tax on the United States under the control of the United Nations.”

• “On February 16, 2008, Barack Obama does appear to have been rather ‘liberally inspired’ by a 2006 speech by Deval Patrick.”

• “An American Expat in Southeast Asia reports on a television series about Barack Obama’s youth as a Muslim.”

• “Hot Air has video of Michelle Obama saying she has not been proud of America in her entire adult life—until now that her husband is running for President. I wasn’t shocked by the statement; it’s pretty standard ‘progressive’ thinking.”

• ”Michelle Obama’s thesis: Racial divide. Institutionalized racism.”

• “Another Photo Of Obama In Muslim Garb? Looks like it.”

• “Hey, Barack and Hillary are going to vie for the coveted Democratic nomination again tonight on MSNBC, grabbing for the brass ring, smiling for the cameras, spinning like dervishes, singing Kumbaya and Change and Diplomacy and Change and Health Care and Change! Changey-change change! Sing it with me, won’t you?”

• “Forget about Barack Obama’s middle name; what matters are his views on foreign policy—and those views are a mixture of idiotarian progressivist cant and embarrassing self-contradiction.”

• “The Kos Kidz see Barack Obama as a pioneer, challenging outmoded concepts like ‘patriotism’ and ‘pride in America’.”

• “Canadian Television has a bombshell story on the hypocrisy and double-dealing of Barack Obama.”

• “After Barack Obama invades Pakistan, one of his close advisers, Samantha Power, may have another target in mind: Israel.”

• “Laptop computers captured from FARC terrorists by Colombia reveal that FARC is hoping and expecting that Barack Obama will be the next US President.”

• ”Michelle Obama: America is ‘Just Downright Mean.’”

• “In April of last year, Sarah Hussein Obama told the New York Times she is a devout Muslim.”

• ”Obama’s promise to remove all troops from Iraq within a year is horse puckey.”

• “Here’s your clearing house for all news related to the ever-widening Barack Obama-Tony Rezko scandal.”

• ”Barack Obama’s campaign of empty self-contradictory promises has apparently hoodwinked the state of Wyoming.”

• “There are some rather serious discrepancies between the stories Obama tells and the reality.”

• ”Obama Fools Mississippi.”

• “With all of the faux outrage from the left directed at people who use Barack Obama’s unmentionable middle name, who was the first one to cross this horrible line of racism and bigotry? Hint: his middle name is ‘Hussein.’”

• “The man Barack Obama calls his spiritual adviser, who is credited for giving him the title of his book, The Audacity of Hope, and who married Obama and his wife and baptized their two daughters, is an America-hating racist.”

• “So how are the major wire services covering the story of Barack Obama’s pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and his insane, hateful statements blaming America for 9/11 … ?”

• ”Barack Obama chose the radical hub of left-wing hatred on the web to post a response to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy … He denies ever having heard Wright say anything outrageous. Excuse me while I guffaw … Obama is, quite simply, lying when he says he never heard Wright say these kinds of things.”

• “More evidence that Obama is lying about his association with Rev. Wright …”

• “America wrestles with the issue of whether it would be a good idea to elect a President with a 20-year history of associating with people who hate America.”

• “The mainstream media are completely, utterly in the tank for Barack Obama.”

• “The official Barack Obama campaign web site has quietly airbrushed away any mention of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, with no statement or explanation … Stalin ain’t got nothin’ on the ‘progressive’ wing of the Democratic Party.”

Monday, April 26, 2010

“It is absolutely reminiscent of second class status of Jews in Germany prior to World War II when they had to have their papers with them at all times and were subject to routine inspections at the suspicion of being Jewish,” Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo), who is Jewish, told POLITICO...

...“I think it’s a very fair comparison and I hope that we’re not headed on the same trajectory that Nazi Germany was,” Polis said. “But this was a very recent experience for Jewish Americans and Jews worldwide and it’s something that when we see similarities we start ringing alarm bells.”

Again, the law does not authorize unlawful stops, but only permits verification of immigration status once a lawful stop has been made (emphasis mine):

11-1051 B. For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency of this state of a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency of a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person, except if the determination may hinder or obstruct an investigation....

Which raises a question: when an officer lawfully stops an individual and the officer suspects that the individual may be in the country illegally what exactly do opponents of the Arizona law believe that the officer should do? If it is perfectly okay for an officer to ask a driver to show their driver's license, to prove that the driver is driving legally, why is a violation of civil rights to ask that same person to show their green card to prove that they are in the country legally?

Arizona, with 460,000 illegal immigrants, is at the front line of what has become a battle with very real consequences. They, and other states with high concentrations of illegals, were put in this position by a federal government that has not done its job. This problem began long before the Obama Administration, but it is the Obama Administration, not wanting to let a crisis go to waste, that is wringing every drop of political advantage out of the situation. Obama's position has nothing to do with upholding his duty to the American people and everything to do with the midterm elections.

There are solutions to this problem and as usual, not everyone is going to be happy.

First, enforce the border. Build the fence, send the troops, allow the Minutemen to fill the gaps. It is time for the Administration, and particularly Janet Napolitano, to show some backbone.

Second, admit that our failed "War on Drugs" is partially responsible for the violence on the border. Raise the white flag. Take the profit out of drugs and the violence will go away. A person who uses (fill in the drug of your choice) is going to use the drug whether it is legal or not. Can anybody name any success story from the War on Drugs? Any battle won?

Third, go after the people who employ illegals and go after them hard. Make the punishment for hiring an illegal severe enough and employers will suddenly figure out that it is cheaper to hire Americans. The same goes for housing an illegal. And opening bank accounts for illegals or selling them money orders or sending wires for them. Go after Americans who profit from illegal immigrants.

Fourth, have a system that tracks people allowed in the country legally. How many simply overstay their visas or don't attend school or meet whatever was set as their condition for entry? Our government has no clue. This long after 9/11 there is no excuse for the lack of followup in this country.

Fifth, do not reward people who are in this country illegally. No amnesty, law breakers go to the back of the line.

We've heard about comprehensive immigration reform forever. Enough. The Administration needs to get serious about solving the illegal immigrant problem. Not for politics, for the American people.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

We're five days away from the April 30th deadline for Charlie Crist to go Indie, if he's going to do it. From Dan Riehl:

How Crispy Crist Cooked His Own Goose

A concise, compelling one page look at the rise and fall of Charlie Crist. More interested in some next step up, than principles and even commitments, it strongly suggests Crist both preceded and ultimately bought into the Obama is all the rage PR of 2008 and ran with it as fast and far as he could in the pursuit of his own selfish aims. As someone else once said, how's that hopey changey stuff workin' out for ya, Charlie?

A year and a half later, as with Obama and the Democrats, the answer seems to be, not very well, I'm afraid.

Further down in the post:

"A lot of Republicans tolerated Charlie Crist because he could win,'' said Republican strategist Rick Wilson. "It took a long time (for people to start criticizing him) because the people that were uncomfortable with Charlie's departure from conservative principles were really shouted down and told to shut up because this is the guy who can take it all the way."

There is an axiom that politicians eventually find themselves in trouble and when that happens, they need their base to shore them up. Crist never tended to his base, consuming himself instead with hugging the center and left. (emphasis added)

Yeah, as part of what was Charlie's base, and having voted for him, I almost immediately and consistently found myself thinking, "This isn't what I voted for." Let's face it, wallflowers don't typically run for office but with Charlie it is all about self promotion. The state and the voters always come in second to what Charlie thinks is good for Charlie.

So, within the next five days we'll find out if I am right about my gut feeling that Charlie will ultimately do what is best for Charlie and not run as an Independent. The odds don't appear to favor my position but I put my faith in Charlie's unbroken record of putting his political future ahead of all other considerations.

Let's face it, The Coffee Party has not been a huge success. To the opposite, they come off as whiny, hate filled anti-Tea Party wannabes. In order to be successful you have to stand for something and standing for bigger government, higher taxes and subordinating personal liberty to the state are not exactly winning rallying cries.

Annabelle Park’s experience reminds me of the 2002-06 era of liberal impotence, when the general consensus within the left-wing blogosphere was that Democrats were losing elections because they weren’t angry enough or, alternatively, they weren’t liberal enough. This was the impetus, for example, of the doomed Ned Lamont campaign.

Critics of the Tea Party accuse us of all manner of hateful motivations but the Tea Party's success is built on positive energy and a positive message. We are not about tearing down institutions but building up individuals. Our message isn't "Yes We Can" it is "Yes You Can". It isn't a subtle difference. One is a group-think slogan that enshrines the government as the noble benefactor. The other recognizes the power of the individual. It is no surprise that the latter resonates with more people than the former.

It’s simply amazing that a piece of legislation that was unread by the people who voted for it, and is over 2,400 pages, should cause confusion. I mean, seriously, “What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?” States Warn Of Obamacare scams

In Illinois, a telemarketer recently sold an elderly woman a fraudulent health insurance plan that supposedly protected her against “death panels,” the state insurance director says.

In Alabama, a con artist has been offering “government health care reform” insurance over the phone in exchange for customers’ bank account numbers, according to the local Better Business Bureau.

And in Kansas, law enforcement authorities are investigating reports of people identifying themselves as government employees and taking payments for “Obamacare” insurance.

Con artists in several states are seizing on the public’s financial struggles and confusion about the recent health care overhaul, the authorities say. So far, the frauds appear to be relatively infrequent and are often no more sophisticated than spam fax messages with blatant misspellings and no company letterhead.

The cons may be unsophisticated, but as someone who has worked in the financial industry for over twenty-five years, trust me, tons of people will fall for them. Health care scams target the elderly, who were thrown under the bus by ObamaCare and are afraid they will lose their coverage because of Medicare cuts, and the poor who have little experience understanding heath care policies. ObamaCare has created a free market for con artists, complete with built-in victims. I doubt this is the "change" that most people voted for.

I've given Lindsey Graham plenty of grief over the years, but he deserves our praise today if Ben Geman's report is accurate.

Monday climate bill rollout scuttled as Graham decides to walk away

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) decision to walk away from Senate talks on climate change and energy legislation – at least for now – has prompted the measure's remaining architects to scuttle Monday’s planned unveiling of the bill.

It seems that Graham is upset with the push for immigration reform. Graham believes that the Administration is trying to rush immigration legislation for political purposes. You think? This country is in serious need of real immigration reform, not just another amnesty program. The Dems are trying to curry favor among Hispanic voters and as such, have no incentive to write the kind of tough legislation this country needs.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Today in The Atlantic, Andrew Sullivan wrote "History Happened" a slobbering missive which should have been titled, "An Ode to Obama", and should have included a subtitle referring to Obama's magnificent loins. I shudder to think what Sullivan did with his other hand while typing that nonsense.

Sullivan opined that Obama "represents the pragmatic center" in this country. If Sullivan believes this, and I am sure he does, then what does he define as left of center? He actually refers to Obama as pragmatic twice. I thought "pragmatic" meant "practical" and therefore would only be the correct terminology if Sullivan meant to say that Obama wants practically everything under his administration's control.

But in Sullivan's fantastical world he deems Obama to be a reasoned and reasonable saint soul who has played the cards dealt to him as only a man of great depth and perception could. His example:

Even yesterday, Obama did not batter Wall Street. He asked them to "join" him in rescuing capitalism from itself and restoring the confidence of ordinary folks with retirement accounts in Wall Street....

One can almost hear Satan say, "Join me or spend all of Eternity in the fiery abyss." I would hope that if Wall Street joins him (again) they will at least leave their checkbooks at home this time. And then there is this:

The epistemic closure on the right is how other conservatives still manage to blind themselves to the pragmatic virtues of this president's remarkable 15 month record at home and abroad.

Again, Sullivan must have an entirely different definition of the word "remarkable" than the one I am used to. But to be fair, were I to write a two word title for a post on Obama with the second word being "happened" the first word would not be "history".

The “big” news that GM would be paying off its bailout early left out some really big details. Like, oh, GM is paying back the taxpayers with money from the taxpayers. Sen. Grassley is not amused. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Geithner he wrote:

…On Tuesday of this week, Mr. Neil Barofsky, the Special Inspector General for TARP, testified before the Senate Finance Committee. During his testimony Mr. Barofsky addressed GM’s recent debt repayment activity, and stated that the funds GM is using to repay its TARP debt are not coming from GM earnings. Instead, GM seems to be using TARP funds from an escrow account at Treasury to make the debt repayments. The most recent quarterly report from the Office of the Special Inspector General for TARP says “The source of funds for these quarterly [debt] payments will be other TARP funds currently held in an escrow account.” See, Office of the Special Inspector General for TARP, Quarterly Report to Congress dated April 20, 2010, page 115.

Furthermore, Exhibit 99.1 of the Form 8K filed by GM with the SEC on November 16, 2009, seems to confirm that the source of funds for GM’s debt repayments was a multi-billion dollar escrow account at Treasury—not from earnings. In the 8K filing GM acknowledged:

 Of the $42.6 billion in cash and marketable securities available to GM as of September, 30, 2009, $17.4 billion came from an escrow account with Treasury,

 $6.7 billion of the escrow account available to GM was allocable to the repayment of loans to Treasury,

 $5.6 billion in cash would remain in the Treasury escrow account following the repayment by GM of their loans, and

 Upon repaying Treasury, any balance of escrow funds would be released to GM.

Therefore, it is unclear how GM and the Administration could have accurately announced yesterday that GM repaid its TARP loans in any meaningful way. In reality, it looks like GM merely used one source of TARP funds to repay another. The taxpayers are still on the hook, and whether TARP funds are ultimately recovered depends entirely on the government’s ability to sell GM stock in the future. Treasury has merely exchanged a legal right to repayment for an uncertain hope of sharing in the future growth of GM. A debt-for-equity swap is not a repayment.

So I guess we won’t be uncorking the champagne just yet. The problem is that this was a stupid lie. The Administration “crowed” and GM put the news in its commercials. Yet the immediate reaction from the public was, “What’s that smell?” The smell was the fertilizer being spread by the government. What was the point? Does the Obama Administration really think that the public is so slow witted that it wouldn't recognize a snow job?

ARIZONA’S IMMIGRATION BILL: I think that Krauthammer is right that it’s a response to the federal government’s failures, and I also agree with people who say it’s likely trumped by the Supremacy Clause — Congress has plenary authority over immigration, and though it’s not entirely settled — is there a “dormant immigration clause?” — that’s the way to bet. But it occurs to me in light of Krauthammer’s comments that there’s another clause in the Constitution that may be relevant: Article IV Section 4:

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

Were I representing Arizona, I’d argue that the federal government is in default on its “protection against invasion” responsibility, and that this empowers the state to resort to self-help. Not sure how that would play out, but it would make an interesting law review article. And a fun oral argument

.The problem is that the government has not done their job. In fact, the government seems more inclined to take up endeavors that are not its job, say, health care, than those functions that fall under its authority. This puts states in a vise. Few people support the notion that someone should be pulled over, let along arrested, for “driving while brown” but the federal government’s lackadaisical approach to border security has forced Arizona in to that position.

Arizona, home to an estimated 460,000 illegal aliens, has a total population of approximately 6.5 million according to the most recent estimates available. This works out to approximately one of every fourteen people in the state being there illegally. In addition to the strain that illegal immigration has put on Arizona’s schools and social services, crime committed by illegals is on the rise. Unfortunately, the powers that be in Washington, including former Arizona governor and current head of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, have turned their backs on states suffering under the burden of illegal immigration. Arizona has simply decided that if the federal government will not do its job then the state will fill the void.

The current immigration reform bill making its way through Congress offers nothing more than the same old “get out of jail free card” type legislation that we seen in the past. Offering amnesty every few years is not reform. It is a worn out excuse to ignore a problem that is not going away. Until the federal government takes its obligations to its citizens seriously the states will be forced to take their own measures. If these measures seem draconian, place the blame at the federal level where it belongs.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

“What am I supposed to do, write an immigration bill between now and Monday with Chuck?” Graham said.

Forgive me, but I thought "staffers" wrote legislation and Congressmen found out what had been written once the bill had been voted on.

Graham is lamenting that bringing his immigration bill to the floor too quickly could screw up his Global Warming bill. Truth is, both bills are already screwed up. Instead of whining that he wants to cram this or that bill down the throats of an already gagging public, Graham should take a novel approach and bow to the will of the people-i.e., can both bills.

Cap and Trade puts a heavy burden on already struggling families in the form of both tax increases and increased energy costs. Americans are not in the mood right now for extreme and unwise measures, particularly when they are predicated upon discredited science. "Immigration Reform" simply rewards illegals, grants amnesty, increases the number of people who must compete for decreased employment opportunities, and adds to the ObamaCare and entitlement rolls while padding the Democrat's base. Why is Graham pushing either one?

Graham wants to play on both sides of the net. That is certainly his choice, but he shouldn't be surprised if voters tell him to take his shuttlecock and shove it.

Today is Earth Day and, not coincidentally, the birthday of Vladimir Lenin. The connection between the two is controversial but not unexpected. Both Lenin and modern day "environmentalists" believe that they have been ordained to dictate to others how they should live their lives. Both also hold, or in Lenin's case, held, to the belief that the world is overpopulated-. Lenin merely had a more direct means of dealing with the problem.

My new favorite Earth Day quote:

The great thing about worshipping trees is that tress rarely ask you to do anything. Scott Ott on Celebrating Earth Day

So, in our family we will be enjoying our traditional Earth Day meal-hot dogs roasted over burning tires. Mother Gaia will survive, thrive and continue as she has for millions of years to do what ever she damn well pleases. And in her honor, so will I.

Between Roman Polanski, Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Spike Lee, and all of the pro-Taliban activists running amok in Tinseltown, Hollywood has pretty much offended everyone. As Mark Steyn wrote in 2004 after a particularly disastrous Hollywood fundraiser for John Kerry, “Having the most popular figures in popular culture on your side can seriously damage your popularity.” On the other hand, much as modern day General Motors is a union healthcare and retirement plan that produces cars as an derivative industry, Hollywood’s chief product these days is political activism. It produces mass-market entertainment as an increasingly vestigial and legacy offshoot of its primary business function.

Who would have thunk it? Just because Hollywood is populated by under-educated, foul mouthed, drug addled, silicone filled amoral do nothings who think that class is vested upon them by virtue of their ability to fake personhood on cue, there is no reason to think ill of the "beautiful people." Afterall, were they not highly paid for being marginally talented most of the denizens of Hollywood would probably exist on the taxpayer's dime. Come to think of it, that may be why most actors and actresses support Democrats.

and therefore, I could not care less who he is having sex with. Graham's policy positions interest me, his sexual positions do not. I'veneverhadanythingnice to say about Lindsey Graham and I see no reason to start now, but with all the legitimate reasons there are to crack on Graham there is no excuse for stooping to personal attacks. Conservatives are looking good in 2010. Let's keep focused on what is important.

Charlie Crist gets to set the course for the GOP after all. (Whether it’s where Republicans want to be led -- that’s another question.)

Since we know that he’s listening and all -- what he’s hearing back is some mixed sounds, of varying volumes.

A party switch for Gov. Crist, R-Fla., may be his only remaining path to becoming a United States senator.

But it’s a path fraught with peril for the Republican Party -- and the possibility of Democrat Kendrick Meek winning in a three-way race would only be the GOP’s most immediate concern.

The storyline of Republican disarray was just about put to bed, or at least was on track to come to an end with this year’s primary season. Under the preferred (conservative) Republican scenario, Marcio Rubio defeats Charlie Crist, the Tea Party gets to drink deeply in victory, and there’s no Dede Scozzafava to worry about.

But if Crist runs as an independent, he writes a new chapter in a divisive story for the GOP, one that we’ll still be reading in November.

Looking at the results from the straw polls we see a Florida Republican Party that is united, statewide, behind Marco Rubio. In the excerpt above from Rick Klein’s article in The Note you would think that Rubio is the “Tea Party” candidate and that Crist is the “mainstream” guy. Not exactly the reality of the situation. And while it may be true that the national Republican Party has been in disarray, our state GOP is quite cohesive, particularly since we’ve been rid of Crist crony, former state chairman Jim Greer. Further, Klein’s article assumes two scenarios in the event of a three way race:

First, Rubio captures the far Right, Meek captures the far Left and Crist wins that wide swath in the middle.

OR

Second, Rubio captures the far Right and Meek and Crist split everything else with Crist taking just enough to become Florida's next senator.

More likely, if Crist launches an Independent bid, Crist and Meek will split the Left while Rubio will take the Center and Right and Rubio will be our Senator. As it stands now, Crist can't even take Pinellas County.

2008 not withstanding, Florida is a Center Right to Right state. Neither Meek nor Crist stand a chance of winning in November. Crist's best hope is 2012 but only if he uses the next two years to reinvent himself, ala John McCain, as a Conservative. If Crist really is a pragmatist, now would be a good time for him to show it.

The Marco Rubio campaign says Charlie Crist has halted all its TV advertising in the Orlando and Tampa Bay markets where the anti-Rubio spots were airing.

Crist's veto of the Jeb Bush-backed education bill seemed to be a strong sign he was running as an independent, but the decision to pull the ads could mean, as the Times reports, that "Crist has decided to marshal his resources for later or perhaps drop out altogether." First Read reported on Friday that Crist is considering dropping out and living to fight another day:

First Read has learned that Crist is getting much of his political advice nowadays from GOP strategist Mitch Bainwol, and they are considering two options right now: 1) making an independent bid, which would turn the general election into a toss-up; and 2) dropping out of the race altogether and turning his sights to a 2012 Senate challenge against Bill Nelson (D). But right now, no one is seriously talking about Crist staying in a GOP primary he’s trailing by double digits. The filing deadline is at the end of this month.

I've said all along that running as an Independent is not in Crist's best interest. He won't win and an Independent bid would effectively end Crist's career. Nothing that I have have seen from Crist indicates to me that he is a "cut off his nose to spite his face" kind of guy. Better to bow out gracefully and look to the future.

Privately, GOP officials have even tried to broach the idea that Crist drop out of the race. NRSC chair John Cornyn called Crist on Friday, intending to make it clear that Crist should drop out if he doesn't believe he can win a party primary. Crist did not answer the phone, a source close to Cornyn said, and as of today Cornyn's call hasn't been returned.

I guess somebody isn't feeling the love. It is hard to feel sorry for Cornyn. He and the NRSC just seem to be capable of learning from their mistakes.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Every once in a great while, something happens that is so mind boggling, so unheard of, that the brain has trouble processing it. What could possibly be more mind blowing than a politician who does exactly what he said he would do during his campaign:

A concise must read in the Journal today - stemming from a meeting between Christie and their editorial board. Christie's office interaction with the union chief is enough to warm your cold, black little Right-leaning heart. His focus on what's termed NJ's regulatory morass is key for a NJ resurgence. Christie claims he wants to prove to like minded politicians that if you stand up to the usual special interests they can and must be beaten for the good of the state. Read it, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

'I said all during the campaign last year that I was going to govern as if I was a one-termer," explains New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on a visit this week to the Journal's editorial board. "And everybody felt that it was just stuff you say during a campaign to sound good. I think after the first 12 weeks, given the stuff I've done, they figure: 'He's just crazy enough to do it.'"

Well, that's not how it is supposed to work. Politicians get elected by running around their state, or country, promising everyone raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. They stay elected by screwing over their constituents and kissing the over ample asses of every union boss as far as the eye can see. Sure, their states end up like New Jersey, California, Michigan and countless others, but hey, at least the politician and his cronies still have a job.

Oddly, Christie has a new way of doing things. He didn't blow smoke up anyone's tailpipe while he was running for office and now that he is in, he isn't kissing anybody's ass. Best of all, Cristie's way seems to be working for the people of New Jersey. Good for him. Let's hope the trend catches on.

I'm in a deep "I miss my grandkids" funk today. Really, everything I do revolves around them somehow. They certainly are central to how I view the world and politics.

I absolutely believe that there are plenty of "progressive" grandparents out there who love their grandchildren as much as I love mine. Why are we so different? Why are they so willing to mortgage their grandchildren's future? Do they believe that somehow, the deficits won't impact their grandchildren or that the impact won't be negative?

I just don't understand a parent or grandparent who can look at a child knowing that the decisions that we make today will affect that child's entire future, and their attitude is, "they'll get used to it." Get used to diminished personal freedoms? Get used to dependency on the government?

I look at my daughter, who is so far away, and I am proud that she has the tools and the freedom to be her own person. How do progressive parents justify restricting their own children's choices for the benefit of others? Progressive policies bring everyone down to a governmentally sanctioned level. Conservative policies give each person the ability to rise above their circumstances. It is the difference between "be all that you can be" and "be all that you can get by with." Who chooses the latter for their children and grandchildren when they could choose the former?

So, I though I miss them dearly, and I won't be getting over it, I'm proud of all those who sacrificed in the past so that my daughter has the choice of how to live her life and raise her children, no matter where it takes them. For my part, I promise to whatever I can to ensure that my grandchildren inherit a country that provides them with the opportunities of their own making. Wherever it takes them.

Yeah, I know I've already posted on this but the more I think about Barack Obama saying that we should thank him for the situation this country is facing the less thankful I become. The fact is, fifty-two percent of Americans gave us the most self-centered, self aggrandizing, egotistical president who has ever existed. Are you thankful now? I linked to Carol at No Sheeples Here earlier, but if somehow you missed her latest video, here it is:

If you can look at the period since January 20, 2008 and not believe that Barack is the Marieist of all Marie Antionettes, please let me know. If you can look at what has happened to this country under the reign, yes, reign, of Barack Obama, and not be appalled, I want to hear about it.

Some of the signs of an abusive relationshipare that the abuser cuts off the victim's contact with allies and the abuser ridicules and demeans the victim. Folks, we are in an abusive relationship and Barack Obama is the abuser. He has insulted our traditional allies. He ridicules and demeans the citizenry. He fosters an environment where we are dependent on him for our basic necessities. Hell, if his EPA gets their way, the very roofs over our heads won't truly belong to us.

Upon seeing that our esteemed (cough) former president, Bill Clinton, drew comparisons between the Tea Party and Timothy McVeigh, my gag reflex immediately kicked in. Every time I think of the Bill Clinton years I think "cigar". Oh, and "stained blue dress". I just can't take the man seriously. Unfortunately, every time I tried to write about Clinton's remarks on the Tea Party, the images of Clinton that inevitably appear in my head prevented anything printable in a somewhat family friendly blog from emerging. Adrienne's Corner to the resue:

Meantime, Clinton, who "did not have sex with that woman", is warning us that "the words we use really do matter" , and is worried the tea partiers may start blowing up buildings. And Barry Soetoro finds us "amusing."

The Oregon teacher who sought to "destroy" the Tea Party has been placed on paid administrative leave. As a "Tea Partier" I am not thrilled with Jason Levin's activities that included everything from foolishness to encouraging people to commit identity theft. Most of all, I wonder what Levin was teaching his middle school students and disappointed that he choose to pass on a wonderful opportunity.

He could have divided his students in to two groups, one pro-Tea Party, one anti, had them research the positions of the group that they represent, held debates, etc. This was a great teachable moment for Levin and he blew it.

Actually, the teaching opportunities involving the current crisis of government are endless. How many teachers are blinded to the possibilities by their own ideology? I am not advocating politics in the classroom but the study of the political process is certainly legitimate. Teaching children to research policy positions, if done objectively, is certainly desirable.

In a classroom where the teacher's goal is to teach children how to think, as a opposed what to think, the dissection of current events is a powerful tool. Shame Levin didn't appear interested in teaching when the opportunity arose.

Thank goodness that there are young people who don't want to stay on their parent's health insurance until they are twenty-six years old.

One of the many things that made me proud yesterday at the Tax Day event in Tampa was the number of young people who came out in support of the protest. These are young people who take an interest in what is going on in their country, take the time to be involved and know that ultimately, the decisions that are being made today will more impact on their lives than on the old farts who are making the decisions. Listen to the young woman in the following video (around 1:20 in):

I talk a lot about my concern about the country that my grandchildren will inherit. Jeremy and Olivia are nine and six years old. It is the young man in the picture above and the young woman in the video and their contemporaries that I look to for encouragement that we can turn this country around.

Stacy McCain has a source that says Charlie Crist will announce today that he is launching an Independent bid for US Senator from Florida. Put that in the "might as well" category. Having vetoed the Jeb Bush backed and Republican supported teacher pay bill on Thursday, he has effectively ended any chance he might have had to defeat Marco Rubio to become the Republican candidate this fall. From Jennifer Rubin at Contentions:

This might make sense — if independents were enamored of public employees’ unions and against school reform. But they aren’t, and its the sort of thing that will make Crist unpopular with everyone but the teachers’ union, which will no doubt support the Democrat in the general election anyway. No wonder Crist’s campaign chairman quit. It was the type of move for which Crist has now become infamous — combining bad politics with bad policy.

Moreover, Crist managed to infuriate popular ex-governor Jeb Bush, who’s as yet not made an official endorsement in the race. But his statement lashing out at Crist’s veto is the sort of thing Marco Rubio will be putting in his campaign ads:

I am disappointed by the veto of Senate Bill 6. … By taking this action, Governor Crist has jeopardized the ability of Florida to build on the progress of the last decade, which includes raising student achievement across the board, narrowing the achievement gap for poor and minority students, and improving graduation rates. Florida’s sustained improvement is the result of bold reforms that were challenging, controversial and sometimes even unpopular. Reform is hard work but without a commitment to change, Florida would not be 8th in the nation today.

All in all, it was a harebrained move by a politician who has demonstrated why it is a very good thing to have contested primaries: voters can figure out who’s a disaster waiting to happen.

I feel compelled to point out that this would not have been a contested primary had the NRSC had its way. More proof that the NRSC should stay out of local politics until after the primary voters have had the opportunity to have their say.

Gov. Charlie Crist’s political mentor, former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, resigned Thursday as Crist’s campaign chairman in his race for the U.S. Senate…

“As you know, I strongly disagree with your veto,” Mack wrote his fellow Republican. “Your veto I believe undermines our education system in Florida and the principles for which I have always stood.”

Mack went on to say that Crist’s decision to veto the bill was “unsupportable and wrong.”

“As you can understand, I can no longer serve as chairman for your campaign for the United States Senate,” Mack wrote.

I know today’s veto was a big deal but it surely wasn’t so big that Mack would cut ties to his own protege over it in an act of conscience. Either he’s using this as a pretext to head for the lifeboats because the Republican nomination is now officially unwinnable or Crist’s told him privately that he’s running as an independent and Mack refuses to go against the party. Either way, Crist’s days as a Republican Senate candidate are over. Say, John Cornyn — you and the NRSC endorsed Crist almost a year ago, didn’t you? How are you feeling this fine evening?

I've said all along that Crist running as an Independent would be an act of throwing good money after bad. It won't help him and simply feeds in to Crist's reputation as being an opportunist. If he wants any chance of preserving his political career, Crist needs to bow out gracefully. I'm not sure that "graceful" is currently on Crist's radar. In any case, Crist has learned that you can't run as a Republican while, literally, embracing Democrats.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Things are starting to kick in here in Tampa. I don't have a crowd estimate yet because people are absolutely streaming in to Joe Chillura Park here in downtown Tampa. Enjoy the pictures I've gotten so far. I will be updating as frequently as possible.

These two were my bench buddies for a while.

Nice little crowd has gathered now.

Video of "God Bless America"

I saw two anti-Tea Party protesters. The first, a young girl, carried a sign that said, "The street that you are standing on? Thank taxes." She seemed a bit confused. I didn't get a good look at the second guy. Poor thing, the people by him obviously take very seriously the slogan, "We surround them." I am thinking he wishes he had stayed home.

The Rubio and Adams supporters were out in force. Great to see. Eddie Adams is running against Kathy Castor here in the 11th District. Today is the second time I've listenned to Adams speak in public and I am impressed with him. Marco Rubio would have been here today but he recently learned that his father's cancer has returned and Rubio was spending time with him.. My prayers to him and his family.

Congradulations to Sharon Calvert and John Hendrix for doing such a great job putting this whole thing together. All of their very hard work paid off.

I have more video but I am having trouble uploading. Maybe tommorrow. In the meantime, today was a good day!

I will be in Tampa participating in the Tampa Tax Day Tea Party event. I will at the event as both a participant and a volunteer. I have signed up to be the "official" videographer so please, wish me luck.

Some random thoughts on today.

This is an opportunity for all of us, across the country, to stand up together and make our voices heard. Don't sit on the couch, get up. If you are unhappy with the direction this country is taking find the Tea Party event closest to you and go. If you have to work today, stop by on your way home. Pick up the kids after school and take them to an event. This is democracy and our children should be given the opportunity to see it in action.

There has been alot of talk about infiltrators and crashers this year. It is what it is and I can't think of any surer sign that the Tea Party has been successful than the ugliness directed our way by the Left. Don't be intimidated and let yourself to be compromised by the Left's aggression. Take pictures and if you don't have a blog and don't know where to send them to, email them to me at ctsloset@gmail.com and I will get them out there.

Remember, the choice isn't between standing up and sitting down. The choice is between standing up and laying down. Let's stand up together.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Tonight Marco Rubio appeared at The Villages of Florida where Sean Hannity was taping his show and doing a book signing. Hannity's guests included Rubio, Lt. Col. Alan West, Coach Lou Holtz, and Tucker Carlson. I learned an important lesson about attending the taping a show at an outdoor venue-the closer you are the less you see and you hear nothing. I was about 20 feet from the stage and didn't see a thing. I moved back and was able to hear most of the show.

After the show I moved over to Rubio's bus and got a video of Rubio talking to the crowd and then went to the book signing. The line went down the road forever.

Just as I took this picture the crowd broke out in a cheer. I turned just in time to see Sean Hannity zoom by me in a golf court. He passed barely five feet from me and I missed the picture.

All and all it was a wonderful time. Lt. Col. Alan West is an inspiring speaker who will make a wonderful Congressman. The crowd was enthusiastic and it is an incredible experience to see so many people come out in support of their country. Any time that I get an opportunity to listen to Marco Rubio I am right there.

The law apparently bars members of Congress from the federal employees health program, on the assumption that lawmakers should join many of their constituents in getting coverage through new state-based markets known as insurance exchanges.

But the research service found that this provision was written in an imprecise, confusing way, so it is not clear when it takes effect.

The new exchanges do not have to be in operation until 2014. But because of a possible “drafting error,” the report says, Congress did not specify an effective date for the section excluding lawmakers from the existing program.

Under well-established canons of statutory interpretation, the report said, “a law takes effect on the date of its enactment” unless Congress clearly specifies otherwise. And Congress did not specify any other effective date for this part of the health care law. The law was enacted when President Obama signed it three weeks ago.

There must be a “how dumb are they?” joke that is just perfect for this moment. The whole damn Democratic caucus was so smug when they passed this crap sandwich. What do they say-act in haste, repent at leisure?

No doubt this little oversight will be fixed. In the mean time, let’s all have a good laugh.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Okay, so it is more like Sean Hannity and Marco Rubio will be at the Villages tomorrow night along with Lt. Col. Alan West and Lou Holtz and I'll be one of the thousands there to greet them. Unless I do something to embarrass myself in a really big way they won't even know I'm there. If anyone knows of a way that I can call attention to myself without getting arrested, please let me know. (If you are willing to make bail...no, no, well, no)

I'll have my brand new HD video recorder with me and with any luck I will learn how to use it before tomorrow night. It is a two plus hour drive so more than likely it will be Wednesday before anything is up.

It does matter if whether you are looking at a head to head match between Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist or a three way race between Rubio, Crist and likely Democratic challenger Kendrick Meek, Rubio is kicking hind quarters. Rassmussen has Rubio supported by 57% of likely Republican voters versus Crist's paltry 28%. Rubio has a double digit lead over Meek.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Airis reporting that George Will may have driven a stake through the vampire Le Crist's heart:

A recent debate on “Fox News Sunday” illustrated the differences between the few politicians who are, and the many who are not, willing to face facts. Marco Rubio, the former speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives who is challenging Gov. Charles Crist for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, made news by stating the obvious.

Asked how the nation might address the projected $17.5 trillion in unfunded Social Security liabilities, Rubio said that we should consider two changes for people 10 or more years from retirement. One would raise the retirement age. The other would alter the calculation of benefits: Indexing them to inflation rather than wage increases would substantially reduce the system’s unfunded liabilities.

Neither idea startles any serious person. But Crist, with the reflex of the unreflective, rejected both and said that he would fix Social Security by eliminating “waste” and “fraud,” of which there is little. The system’s problems are the result not of incompetent administration but of improvident promises made by Congress.

Synthetic indignation being the first refuge of political featherweights, Crist’s campaign announced that he believes Rubio’s suggestions are “cruel, unusual and unfair to seniors living on a fixed income.” They are indeed unusual, because flinching from the facts of the coming entitlements crisis is the default position of all but a responsible few, such as Wisconsin’s Rep. Paul Ryan, who has endorsed Rubio. What is ultimately cruel is Crist’s unserious pretense that America faces only palatable choices and that improvident promises can be fully funded with money currently lost to waste and fraud.

At the age of 52 I can say that I don't much worry about retirement. I can afford not to worry because for a long, long time I have religiously contributed to a 401K. Prior to the 401K I contributed to an ESOP. I can't remember thinking that I would depend on Social Security in my retirement years and I have a hard time believing that anyone in my general age group would count on Social Security being there for them. Still, Rubio and Ryan are among the very few politicians who will admit that Social Security needs a major overhaul and that people in my group need to make alternate plans. Everyone knows it but no one is willing to say it. Crist's "fraud and abuse" shtick would be laughable were it not such a serious matter.

The filing deadline for the election is only days away and Crist is still insisting that he is not considering an independent run. Should he not choose to run as an Independent I can't see him making it to the August primary. Crist is no longer raking the money in and Rubio is.

My prediction: it will be down to Rubio and Meek by the end of June and in November it will be Rubio all the way.

About Me

Woke up one day and decided I'd better start paying attention. Found out that there is a direct correlation between paying attention and ulcers.
The ulcers don't bother me. Fortunately, my parents credo was "Don't let the bastards get you down!" I never have.